“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).

Here we have the reality of how this life is to be lived.  We die to our self and Christ lives in us.  He who is able to keep the law keeps it for us.  Live then into the life to which you have been called through Christ that He who is in you may guide and direct you all the days of your life.  Do not worry so much about how, but be humble and willing and He who is in you will bring all things together according to the Father’s will.

Lord, You know all that is needed that I might live into the freedom You have given.  Guide me away from either lawlessness, or legalism that I might live in You and You in me.  Let me not fall prey to all the things that go on in this world, but live for You in the freedom You have purchased by Your own blood shed on the cross.  Lead me into the love You have poured out once for all.

Lord Jesus, what You have done is more than I can comprehend.  How all this works together I do not need to know, nor can I figure it all out.  Guide me into You, knowing You are in me that I may live the life You have given me.  Help me to be bold in faith, stalwart in grace, and free in life according to Your guidance.  Through all things remind me constantly that You are the One who has saved me and not the other way round.  Amen. 

“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor” (Galatians 2:17-18).

Christ came to set us free from sin, but also to justify us.  Now if it were simply a matter of being left off the hook, Jesus would not have needed to die for our sins.  But it is more than a free pass. Christ has given us the opportunity to live in the law as He means for it to be lived.  Live then as one free, but also as one who loves the law of the Lord, for it is good as God is always good.

Lord, the games that go on seem to always play against You.  Help me to live into the balance You call for us to live in.  Let me not try to figure ways around Your law, but humbly submit to Your will, knowing every opportunity has been granted that I may live into the life of promise You give through grace.  Let me take seriously this call You give that I may walk in Your provision.

Lord Jesus, You have set us free from the recompense of sin, but not from the law.  Help me, Lord, to not be captured by the ways of this world that play games with You and the way You have established.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go that I may be guided by You alone in the way You know I need to go.  Teach me the balanced life which holds all these things together in the Father’s will.  Amen.

“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16).

We may have our habits and traditions, but that does not mean they are necessary for others.  We may even hold to one set of traditions amongst some but not others. But take care lest we fall into the trap of making tradition a law or a law a tradition.  Be led by the truth God has revealed in Christ that You may walk in the salvation He gives to those who believe.  Be led by the Lord alone.

Lord, You know all that is needed and you have placed me where You have placed me.  Grant me wisdom that I may be guided by You in and through all things.  Help me to see where it is something You command me to do versus what others are saying that I ought to do.  Let me not be caught up in the continuous wrangling that goes on, yet faithful to the call You have given to me.

Lord Jesus, we all need the salvation You have accomplished.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of salvation that I may walk humbly in Your footsteps and not hinder nor be hindered by others.  Lead me to be bold in faith, yet not demanding of others.  In and through all things, guide me to be whom You are making me to be and lift me up through Your grace to walk the narrow path of faith.  Amen.

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:14)

Notice that there is no criticism for living one way or the other, only that Peter was trying to make one group conform to the other.  In the history of the church many have lost the understanding of the freedom we have in Christ and condemn others who do not live to their standards.  Have we not already learned that the faith is about being saved and not just about living up to standards?

Lord, Your law is good, but we fail to live up to it.  Guide me, O Lord, that I would not judge others as I have often been judged.  Guide me away from the old tricks the devil uses to see the truth of the freedom I have and respect the practice of the freedom others have.  Let me be consistent in how I live, but not demand that others conform to my way of living or thinking.

Lord Jesus, I need to be saved.  Save me.  Save me from the constant temptation to either seek to mold others in my image, or to hate because others are judging me.  Grant me the liberty You give by grace and the freedom that come in living in, through, and for You alone.  Through all the things that come my way may I live into the life You have given me through grace.  Amen.

“The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (Galatians 2:13).

Humans are carried away by the movement of crowds.  This is where the absolute sovereignty of God is important to understand.  It will be God’s way.  We cannot vote morality or change what God has spoken.  Somehow though, we have this tendency to make legitimate through crowd appeal that which is antithetical to the will of the Father.  Be led by the Lord and not by any crowd.

Lord, You know my heart and those places where I am influenced by others and not led by You.  How easy it is to be led astray.  Build strength of character such that I do not fall prey to the wiles of the wicked one nor succumb to my pride.  Keep me on the straight and narrow path of salvation that I may live into the likeness of Christ and exemplify the new man who no longer is the old Adam.

Lord Jesus, without You all of this is impossible, but with You it is already promised.  Lead me this day to be a person of integrity who is the same at all times.  You know where I need to be corrected and You know where I need to hold fast.  Guide me, Lord, that I may be led by You and the will of the Father.  Keep me from being led astray by the fickle whims of this age.  Amen.

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:11-12).

Whom do you fear?  Do you not know that all of your deeds are seen by God, whereas we see little of what really is happening in others.  God is truth and the truth shall be revealed.  Yes, in this age people play games.  We are to forgo those games and live humble lives that are truthful and not pretentious.  Come then and live in the truth and abandon those ways which are unacceptable to God.

Lord, reveal in me those places where I do play games and do not live as I ought.  Help me to live into the life to which You have called me that I may be guided by Your grace and mercy.  Let me not be caught playing games I ought not play, but instead, live the life to which You have called me.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of grace and truth that I may be a witness of Your grace to others.

Lord Jesus, You know the truth for You are the truth.  Lead me this day under Your guidance that I would be honest in all I say and do.  Help me, O Lord, that I may not play the human games, but instead be one of integrity in attitude and demeanor.  Guide me that what I do in private is also what I do in public, and all for the glory of the Father.  Amen.

“Recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.  They only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do” (Galatians 2:9-10).

The church has always had those who were above and those who were out in the field.  The Lord is a Lord of order.  He calls and sends.  This does not mean that those above are beyond reproach, nor does it mean that they are not to be honored as those whom God appointed.  In all things that Lord brings balance.  Be led then in the truth of the balance the Lord gives that you may be whole even as He is whole.

Lord, I am often not content with where You have placed me.  I want something other than what I have.  Lord, guide me away from discontent to the place of thankfulness.  Lead me according to Your mercy to know that all things are in Your hands and they will be what they will be and that there is nothing I can do that will change what will be.  Lead me to be thankful in and through all things.

Come, Holy Spirit, and point out those places in my life where I need to be gracious and thankful.  Guide me to know that in You is all hope and that apart from You is nothing.  You have appointed whom You have chosen and You uplift whom You uplift.  Uplift me to walk in Your guidance and live according to the Father’s plan that I would in all things be faithful.  Amen.

“But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles)” (Galatians 2:7-8)

There is One Lord and one faith.  We work for the same Lord.  The devil has been good at getting the faithful to rip into one another over the things upon which they do not agree.  Our faith is focused upon our Lord, so look to Him and give thanks that You have been called through Him by faith and grace into the eternal life which He has prepared for those who believe.  We are all of the same heritage in believing the Good News.

Lord, whether I am right about some things or not, You have given me the gift of faith as You have to many others.  Help me to see through the deceits of the devil lest I fall prey to hating instead of loving.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that all whom You have saved by grace are my brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter the path You have chosen for them.  Guide me Lord in the path You have made.

Lord Jesus, You prayed that we would be one even as You and the Father are One.  Lead me, Lord, in the oneness You intend not with compromise, but with integrity.  Help me to know the lines You have created and to stay within those lines.  Teach me the boundaries of Your love and lead me to the outermost places of love that I would not stay in the place of division and hatred.  Amen.

“But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.  But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) – well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me” (Galatians 2:5-6).

Do not be influenced by those who have position in this world.  Yes, we are to be subject to those whom God appoints to leadership, but that does not mean we need follow false doctrine no matter who speaks it.  The Word has been given and the Lord uses whom He will to accomplish what He will.  Do not yield to anyone but the Lord and follow Him all the days of your life.

Lord, I am very much influenced by those around me in this world.  Not all have You in their heart and I am tugged by all kinds of things.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may not yield to what is false but hold fast to You in whom is all truth.  Guide me, O Lord, now and always in the way You have established that I may not wander nor be led astray.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming and setting us free from the recompense of sin.  Lead me now this day in the way of truth that I may walk humbly with You and be guided by all that You have taught.  Let me not be led astray by those with smooth words, but open my ears to hear Your voice above the noise of this world.  Let me not be concerned with what others think, but instead only with the desire to be Yours.  Amen.

“But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.  But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage” (Galatians 2:3-4).

Legalism sneaks in time and time again.  Yes, God’s law is good, but we are not expected to live out all the law.  We cannot.  If we could, we would have no need for a savior.  Besides, circumcision was a sign and not the promise.  Christ has fulfilled for us all that need be done, so why the sign? Yet, there are those who will insist that we must do this or that when what we need is Christ’s salvation.

Lord, I know that I am unable to fulfil the law.  I also know the law is good and as far as I am able, I am to uphold what You have commanded.  Lord, keep me from those who make life difficult and want other things added to the faith.  Help me to live in the liberty You give by grace that I may walk the narrow path and go where You lead me.  Guide me through those who would hinder me.

Lord Jesus, In You alone is all hope.  You have come that we might have life and have it abundantly.  You have freed us from the trap of trying to appease or please in order to live seeking to be conformed to Your image.  Lead me this day, O Lord, and keep me from those who would wrap me up in the nonsense of legalism or the false freedom of doing what pleases me.  Amen.